Mental Health Associate, Co-Occurring Disorders Unit (CDU) - Per Diem, Various Shifts

Mental Health Team Member

Participates as a member of the mental health team on an inpatient and/or outpatient mental health unit. Provides direct patient care including treatment planning, implementing plans, documentation, and milieu safety assessments and activities such as group activities.

I. Major Responsibilities:

• Serves as a member of the Mental Health Team and serves both internal and external customers including patients, families, nurses, physicians and other colleagues who support the delivery of care and services.
• Provides clear, timely communication to the units licensed nurses regarding observations and changes seen in the patient. Records behavioral data on appropriate data sheets and the electronic medical record.
• Maintains patient safety by performing patient safety checks, environmental safety rounds, utilizing fall prevention alternative devices/strategies as directed.
• Effectively utilizes de-escalation and calming tools and strategies and follows the Restraint Policy standards when caring for a restrained patient.
• Participates and shares responsibility for the development and maintenance of a safe and therapeutic environment.
• Serves as a leader or co-leader for group activities such as goal setting group, dual diagnosis groups, various activity groups, and structuring and supervising recreational activities. Handles routine situations and must request assistance from identified resources when more direction is needed.

Standard Staffing Level Responsibilities:

• Complies with established departmental policies, procedures and objectives.
• Attends variety of meetings, conferences, seminars as required or directed.
• Demonstrates use of Quality Improvement in daily operations.
• Complies with all health and safety regulations and requirements.
• Respects diverse views and approaches, demonstrates Standards of Respect, and contributes to creating and maintaining an environment of professionalism, tolerance, civility and acceptance toward all employees, patients and visitors.
• Maintains regular, reliable, and predictable attendance.
• Performs other similar and related duties as required or directed.

All responsibilities are essential job functions.

II. Position Qualifications:

• License/Certification/Education: Required: 1. High school graduate or equivalent. 2. American Heart Association certification for health care provider CPR required upon hire or during orientation and every two years thereafter. 3. Avade 2 (restraint) training completion required within 30 days of hire.
• Preferred: 1. Associate's degree preferred 2. Medical terminology and computer skills preferred
• Experience/Skills: Required: 1. Ability to read, write and communicate in English in a clear and concise manner. 2. Must have effective interpersonal skills to provide respectful, culturally and age-appropriate communication with patients, staff, visitors and others. 3. Must demonstrate effective problem-solving abilities for routine situations. 4. Must have ability to read, write and communicate in English in a clear and concise manner.
• Preferred: 1. Two year's experience in a health-related field preferred.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

We're striving to make respect a part of everything we do at UMass Memorial Health for our patients, our community and each other. Our six Standards of Respect are: Acknowledge, Listen, Communicate, Be Responsive, Be a Team Player and Be Kind. If you share these Standards of Respect, we hope you will join our team and help us make respect our standard for everyone, every day.

As an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, UMass Memorial Health recognizes the power of a diverse community and encourages applications from individuals with varied experiences, perspectives and backgrounds. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, gender identity and expression, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.